Station-indicator.



B. F. MAOMINN.

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1913.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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BENJAMIN 1F. MACMINN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STATION-INDICATOR.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. M O- MINN, a'citizen of the United States, res 1d ing at Philadelphia, in the county of Ph1ladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in-; vented certain new and useful Improve ments in Station-Indicators, of which the following is aspecification. i

My invention relates to improvements 1n station indicators, the object of the invention being to provide an improved construction of tape and mounting therefor which displays at opposite sides, the names of stations and provide improved means for reversing the direction of movement of the tape.

A further object is to provide an improved construction of casing, embodying a relatively narrow intermediate portion with transparencies at both sides bet-ween which my improved tape is adapted to run and at the ends of said intermediate portion, to provide improved casings for the rolls supporting the tapes and so connect the latter that they may be readily removed and replaced by other rollers and tapes.

A further object is to provide an improved construction of station indicator which is ornamental and attractive in appearance, and which may be utilized in various positions in the cars to display the names of stations or streets.

' With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of part-s as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating my improvements. Fig. 2 isa view in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section on the line of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view in vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, and Figs? 8, 9, and 10 are views illustrating various details of construction.

1 represents a bar bent downwardly at its ends as shown at 2, and forming the structural frame of my improved device as will now be described. A plate 3 is secured to the bottom face of bar 1, and constitutes the top of the tape casing, the bottom of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

ApplicationfiledMayS,1913. Seria1No.765,189.

' which-is formed by a similarly shaped plate I 4 secured to a-bar The'bar 5.has recessed ends 6 to receive the ends 2, and is provided with openings 7 registering,withsimilar openings. in plate 4 and in'the bottom of a roll housing 8 forv the reception of bolts 9v which project through the ends 2, and have nuts 10 on their lower ends against the bottom of roll housings 8. These nuts therefore hold the bottom ofthe casing innormal position.

The parts 8 are referred to as roll casings, because while they constitute a portion of the tape casing, their function is principally to inclose the rolls 13, upon which the tape .14 is wound at both ends, and these housings are of a width appreciably greater than the width of the intermediate portion of the casing to accommodate the diameter of said rolls and tape thereon.

'The parts 3 and 4 are referred to as plates,- but as a matter of fact, they may be made of relatively thin strips of wood which are slightly wider than the bars 1 and 5 respec tively, and are provided with longitudinal.

grooves 15 to receive transparent sheets 16 preferably of glass. Thisis shown most clearly in Fig. 6, where it will be noted that I the sheets. 16 are relatively close together, and between them, my improved tape 14 is adapted to run. This tape 14 comprises two parallel strips 14 and 14 which are secured together throughout their upper edges by In other words, both upper and lower edges of'the tape are guided. in grooves and the two members of the tape 14* and 14" are separated by vertical partition 18. This partition not only constitutes a rigid wall, holding the tape smooth at both sides,'but it also renders the tape opaque, preventing any observation through the tape to interfere with the reading of the stations or streets which are printed upon bot-h sections'14' and 14 so that they can be read from either side of thestation indicator.

This arrangement ofparts facilitates the tween the ends of the car, so that it can be read from either end of the car.

The tape 14c is smooth and held smooth by means of two pairs of rollers 21which are located within the roll housings S'adjacent,

the ends of partition 18, and are sufficiently close together to snugly bind against the tape, and smooth out any wrinkles which may occur in the tape between said rollers 21 and the rolls 13 on which they are wound. These rollers 21 are merely tubes which may be frictioned if desired, and are supported on rods 22 which hang in bearings in bar 1 shaft 17 are seated in transverse grooves in the upper ends of rolls 13 to compel the rolls to turn with the shafts, but allow the rolls to be readily drawn downwardly off the shafts when the bar 5, plate 4, and housings 8 are removed as will be readily understood. This is desirable because it is necessary to change one set of rolls for another in accordance with the route over which the car travels.

The upper ends of shafts 27 are supported in brackets 31 secured to bar 1, and inclosed in a gear casing 32 which conforms in general shape to the shape of the tape casing, which is secured on top of the tape casing and is preferably composed of relatively thin sheet metal.

Beveled pinions 33 are secured on shafts 21? in casing 32, and are adapted to be en gaged by beveled gears 3 1 and 35 respectively on a horizontal shaft 36 which is mounted to slide longitudinally in brackets 37 and extends through the end of the casing as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These gears 34 and 35 face each other, and are spaced apart the proper distance, so that only one of them may be in operative engagement with its pinion. By shifting this shaft 36, either of the gears 3st or 35 may be moved into'operative engagement, and the direction of the. movement of the tape reversed as will be readily understood.

To shift the shaft longitudinally, I have shown a forked lever 19 having a pivot 38 in bar 1. The free end of this forked lever straddles an enlargement 39 on the shaft, so

nected directly to the lever and passed over a pulley 42, while the former is passed around a pulley 43 and then connected to the lever and outside of the casing is passed over operated in any suit-able way from a distance if desired, so as to readily change the direction of movementof the tape.

lVhile of course I am not limited to any particular way of driving shaft 36 to move the tape, 1 have illustrated for the purpose a worm 45 on a drive shaft 46 meshing with a worm wheel't'r' on shaft 36. This worm wheel 47 isv keyed to the shaft 36, so that the latter is free to slide through the worm wheel to allow it to be adjusted without effecting' the intermeshing of the worm and worm wheel. j

To hold the worm wheel against longituvided a bracket 18 secured to the end of the casing as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

It is of course to be understood that when a street or station is passed, the-tape will be operated so that it will move longitudinally and display the next station. This may be T done either manually or automatically, and when the end of the route is reached, the direction of movement of the tape may be reversed so as to properly indicate the .streets or stations on the return route.

When it is desired to change the tape, it

is simply necessary to disconnect the nuts 10 and allow the plate a with all the parts carried thereby to descend. The grooves 15 are of suflicient depth to hold the transparent sheets 14 from falling out while the rollers 13 will slide off of shafts'27 and new rolls and tapes may be substituted and the position.

To illuminate the tape, I provide reflectors 11 which are secured to gear-casing 32 and contain lights 12, so that both sides of the tape are readily observed from a distance.

Various slight changes'might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts describedwit'hout departing from my inven- "tion, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letter Patent isz.

, 1. Afstation indicator, comprising a casing, vertical rolls in the casing, a tape connecting the rolls and comprising two strips secured together at their upper edges, and a vertical partition in the casing over which the tape moves with its strips at opposite sides of thepartition, substantially as de- SCl'llOBd.

a pulley 14:. 'These flexible devices may be parts returned to normal 2. A station indicator, comprisinga casmg, vertical rolls in the cas1ng,.a tape con- .necting the rolls and comprising two strips secured together at their upper edges, a ver tical partition in the casing over which the tape moves with its strips at opposite sides of the partition, and said casing at the upper and lower edges of the tape having grooves confining the edges of said tape, substantially as described. A

v 3. A station indicator, comprising a casmg, vertical rolls in the casing, a tape connecting the rolls and comprising two strips secured together at their upper edges, a vertical partition in the casing over which the tape moves with its strips at opposite sides,

of the partition, and two pairs of rolls between which the tape moves, said pairs of rollers located in proximity to the ends of said partition, substantially as described.

4. A station indicator, comprising a casing, vertical rolls in the casing, a tape connecting the rolls and comprising two strips secured together at their upper edges, a vertical partition in the casing over which the tape moves with its strips at opposite sides of the partition, said casing at the upper and lower edges of the tape having grooves confining the edges of said tape, and two pairs of rollers between which the tape moves, said pairs of rollers located in proximity to the ends of said partition, substantially as described. I

5. A station indicator comprising two vertical rolls, a vertical partition between the rolls, and a tape wound at its ends on said rolls, said tape comprising. two strips located at opposite sides of the substantially as described.

6. A. station indicator, comprising a cas ing, vertical rolls in the casing, a tape connectingthe rolls and comprisingtwo' strips secured together at their upper edges, a vertical partition in the casing over which the tape moves with its strips at opposite sides of the'part-ition, two pairs of rolls between which the tape moves, said pairs of rollers located in proximity to the ends of said partition, said casing having a removable bottom provided with grooves, and transparent sheets supported in said grooves in the removable bot-tom and located at opposite sides of the tape between said last-mentioned pairs of rolls, substantially as described.

7. A station indicator, comprisinga casing, vertical rolls in the casing, a tape connecting therolls and comprising two strips secured together at their upper edges, a vertical partition in the casing over which the tape moves with its strips at opposite sides of the partition, said casing at the upper and lower edges of the tape having grooves confining the edges of said tape, two pairs partition,

of rollers between which the tape moves, said pairs of rollers located in proximity to the ends of said partition, said casing having a removable bottom provided with grooves, and transparent sheets supported in said grooves in the removable bottom and located at opposite sides of the tape between said last-mentioned pairs of rolls, substantially as described.

' 8. A station indicator comprising a cas ing, having transparent walls in its inter mediate portion, shafts hung in the end portions of said casing, rolls having transverse grooves in their upper ends and hav ing longitudinal bores receiving said shafts, transverse pins on the shafts positioned in the transverse grooves in the upper ends of the rolls, whereby the rolls are compelled to turn with the shafts, a removable bot tom on said casing supporting the rolls, and with which the rolls are removable from the shafts, and a tape wound at its endson said rolls and passed between said trans parent walls, substantially as described.

9. In a station indicator, the combination with a bar having downwardly bent ends, a caslng havlngits upper member secured to said bar, and its lower member removably secured to said downwardly bent ends, said casing having transparent walls intermediate its ends, driving shafts in the ends of said casing, rolls removably supported on said driving shafts, a tape connecting said rolls, a gear casing above said bar, and means in the gear casing for transmitting motion to-either of said rolls, substantially as described.

10. A station indicator comprising a casing, having transparent walls in its intermediate portion, shafts hung in the end portions of said casing, rolls having transverse grooves in their upper ends and having longitudinal bores receiving said shafts, 'transverse pins onthe shafts positioned in the transverse grooves in the upper ends of the rolls, whereby the rolls are compelled to turn with the shafts, a removable bottom on said casing supportingthe rolls, and

CHARLES E. Por'rs, MARY E. DITTUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

